John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award

Named for CBCA’s founding chairman, the John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award recognizes a lifetime of extraordinary leadership and a legacy of support for the arts.

Merle Chambers

After a career leading an oil & gas company, Merle Chambers shifted her focus to philanthropy in order to advance cultural vitality and equitable access to arts. Merle supported scholarship programs and significant capital projects at several performance venues and cultural institutions, including co-founding the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. Merle was recently appointed by President Biden to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts (PACA).